Being a student of history, I am very much aware that history is the record of the authors (writers) of history. As such, the record is there to be interpreted and manipulated by succeeding generations.

In recent years, we have seen a trend toward pursuing the goal of ‘erasing’ history because it offends the sensibilities of some persons. The destruction and removal of statues, the removal of flags from public buildings in the USA, Barbados and the UK are examples of revisionist activism.

The proposal (now evidently a decided course of action) adopted by the T&T Prime Minister to change the country’s coat of arms by replacing the symbol of the three ships that transported the explorer, Christopher Columbus on his third voyage of discovery, is a case in point.

Notwithstanding the fact that the names of the three ships in question were not the Santa Maria, the Nina, and the Pinta, but rather: the Santa Maria de Gui, the Vaquenos, and the Correo (representing an error of a significant detail of history which should be of some importance to students of history, if not prime ministers), their removal is intended to alter history.

It seeks to help us forget that Columbus ever landed; in fact, that he never existed.

Well, if this is the case, I would like to suggest that the Prime Minister lead the charge in going the whole Monty! We cannot just stop at removing the three ships of European discovery. He must proceed to change the name of the capital city, and in fact, change the very name of the country, by dropping the name that Columbus gave to one of the two islands: ‘Trinidad’!

Suggestions that I make are: Iere, Big Tobago, Piece of Venezuela, and Paria Island! Go figure!

Richard C de Lima